My Cat Ate Weed: Symptoms of THC Toxicity and What to Do

Weed hits cats harder than people because THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in their brains, and pets appear to be far more sensitive to it than we are, so a small amount goes a long way. It can cause lethargy, dilated pupils, incontinence and, in severe cases, seizures, although it's rarely fatal. If your cat gets into cannabis, call your vet.

Having cannabis plants at home keeps everything within reach, whether you're learning how to grow, harvesting your own buds or rolling joints exactly the way you like them. But having plants around can also be dangerous for certain animals.

Our pets are curious, and if they spot a cannabis plant they may chew on it, eat a piece of it and so on.

Are cannabis plants toxic to cats and dogs?

Marijuana is a mix of dried leaves and flowers from the cannabis plant, and it contains cannabinoids, the most famous of which is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is a “psychoactive substance,” which means it changes how the central nervous system works and produces the feeling of being high. But what about animals?

Cannabis is toxic to dogs and cats in large amounts. It's even worse if that cannabis happens to be high in THC.

Why exactly is THC so bad for dogs and cats?

The answer lies in how their brains work.

Our pets' brains are thought to have more cannabinoid receptors, known scientifically as CB1 and CB2, which bind to the THC molecules in cannabis. That binding is what produces the psychoactive effects. More receptors means a more intense high, so your puppy or kitten gets more stoned than a human would on much less product. Dogs and cats are also believed to have fewer CB2 receptors than humans, which would mean they get a heavier high but fewer of the potential therapeutic effects cannabis can offer.

On top of that, if you keep cannabis edibles around, dogs and cats are very sensitive to many of their usual ingredients. The best-known toxic ones, especially for dogs, are chocolate and the artificial sweetener xylitol, both common in edibles. If your dog or cat gets into your weed edibles, it's crucial to tell the vet the whole story so they can give the right treatment.

Why is weed bad for cats? Symptoms of THC poisoning

Cats can be exposed to cannabis by eating joints or dried cannabis leaves. When inhaled or swallowed, THC enters the body and acts on the brain, disrupting chemical messengers such as norepinephrine, serotonin and acetylcholine. That interference throws off normal neurotransmitter function.

The effects of cannabis in cats include:

• Depression

• Lethargy

• Listlessness

• Loss of coordination or balance (stumbling)

• Urinary incontinence

• Slow heart rate

• Low blood pressure

• Slowed breathing (respiratory depression)

• Dilated pupils and glassy eyes

• Vocalizing, like crying or whining

• Agitation

• Drooling

• Vomiting

• Seizures

• Coma

• Overreacting to noise or fast movement (some cats may hallucinate)

Bottom line: cats and cannabis are best kept apart.

Signs of exposure can start anywhere from 5 minutes to 12 hours after the animal comes into contact with cannabis. Depending on the dose, they can last from 30 minutes to several days.

If your cat is showing signs of THC toxicity, or you think it may have eaten cannabis in any form, call your vet right away.

Does all cannabis affect cats the same way?

THC is fat-soluble, so it builds up easily in the body's fatty tissue and in fat-rich organs such as the brain and liver. The liver metabolizes that THC, and much of it leaves the body in feces and urine.

The good news: cannabis exposure and ingestion are rarely fatal in cats, and long-term complications are uncommon. Cannabis toxicity is low for cats and fatal cases are very rare, but that doesn't make it harmless: if your cat eats any, call the vet. The most serious problems linked to cannabis exposure in cats come from high concentrations of medical-grade THC.

There's no antidote for cannabis, so treatment usually means trying to get the drug out of the system, managing secondary symptoms and providing supportive care until it clears. Recovery can take more than 24 hours.

What vets do to get THC out of a cat's system

If a cat's cannabis poisoning is mild, offer water and keep the animal in a dark, quiet spot, watching its body temperature and avoiding loud noises. Check on it often.

It's vital to understand that not every animal reacts the same way. The effects depend on each individual's sensitivity. If the animal shows neurological signs like ataxia (wobbly, uncoordinated movement), weakness, agitation or vocalizing, whatever it ate has already kicked in. At that point, the vet might:

• Depending on the case, give symptomatic treatment with IV fluids to help “dilute” the effect of the cannabinoids.
• In very specific cases of severe agitation, sedate the animal, although this can backfire.
• Give activated charcoal to help absorb the cannabis still in its system.
• In extreme cases, give medication to control vomiting or seizures.

How to keep your cat from getting into your weed

Here are a few tips to keep your pet from having a bad time:

• Put locks on your grow tent or keep the door closed to rooms where your plants are.
• Fence in outdoor grows. Besides keeping your pet from eating the plants, it'll keep it from wrecking your grow.
• Store buds, concentrates and edibles somewhere safe and out of your pets' reach.
• Keep roaches, leftover bud, stems and trim away from animals.

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